


I’ll take you dancing

by notaperfectsoldier



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Slow Dancing, T for Bucky swears and a little violence, literally I ignored canon completely idk where this is set in the timeline, there’s time skips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-18 18:34:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28996815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notaperfectsoldier/pseuds/notaperfectsoldier
Summary: “Come here and dance with me Buck, let’s just take a minute to be together.” Bucky stood and let Clint pull him close.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Clint Barton, Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson (background)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21
Collections: Winterhawk Bingo Round Two





	I’ll take you dancing

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt filled: O5 of Winterhawk Bingo
> 
> Title from “Wreck of our Hearts” by Sleeping Wolf. https://youtu.be/BsNm54UwWWQ 
> 
> Unbeta’d, I apologize for any typos!

Bucky leaned against the bar nursing a beer. The old Bucky would have loved Stark’s parties, with their beautiful people, free drinks, and plenty of dancing. Now, Bucky only had one beautiful, unattainable man on his mind, he couldn’t get drunk if he wanted to, and he scared away potential dance partners with his death glare. Unfortunately, his death glare was useless against his meddling best friend.

“Awwww Buck, don’t pout, your eye candy will be here soon enough.”

“Fuck off Stevie,” Bucky responded. He definitely wasn’t blushing, the room was just warm.

“Buckyyy, stop refusing to let yourself be happy. You know you and Clint would be so good together.”

“I don’t know if he feels the same way Steve. I can’t risk our friendship just because he’s beautiful, and clever, and everything I could ever want.”

Steve put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. “You don’t know that he  _ doesn’t  _ feel the same way about you. It worked out fine for me and Sam.” 

Bucky glared at his friend before scanning the crowd for Steve’s boyfriend. Sam, who Bucky had accepted as an ally in Steve-wrangling, was standing nearby chatting with with Rhodes. He sent Sam his patented “save me from Steve” look. As Sam approached, Steve continued to list all the benefits of dating your friend. 

“Steve, love of my life, if Bucky wanted a lecture, he’d go to college, let the man pine in peace.” 

“But Sam, don’t you think...” 

Bucky’s attention was drawn from the couple by a commotion at the door. Clint, Natasha, and Thor had finally arrived. They were fresh off a mission, but got cleaned up to join the party for a bit. Bucky swallowed hard as he took in the view. Clint’s gray suit fit perfectly, emphasizing his biceps. His shirt matched his eyes, not purple for once. What really made the outfit in Bucky’s eyes was the band-aid across Clint’s nose. 

“You’re drooling lover boy,” Steve teased beside him. Bucky shot him a dirty look. When he looked back at the room, Clint was looking right back at him. Bucky couldn’t help but compare the moment to one of the cheesy romcoms he watched with Nat sometimes. Clint was walking toward him, a soft smile on his face. Steve and Sam slipped away, but Bucky didn’t notice.

“Hey Bucky, you look really nice tonight.” Clint’s compliment threw him off. They usually greeted each other with friendly insults, but Bucky tried not to read into it. 

“Thanks, so do you. I’m glad you’re here.”

“Bored without me?” Clint asked with a wink. 

“Always.” Bucky’s response came out a bit too sincere. Clint just smiled at him before turning to the bar and ordering a couple drinks. They chatted idly, sipping their drinks and watching the couples on the floor dancing. 

“Hey, wanna dance with me?” Clint asked after a lull in the conversation.

“Definitely! I mean, sure, sounds fun.” Bucky cringed internally at his less-than-smooth response. He blamed Steve. Clint led them to the dance floor, holding his left hand. Clint never treated the metal arm differently than Bucky’s other arm, one of many reasons Bucky gravitated to him.

“I’ve gotta warn ya, I’m a little out of practice. I haven’t danced since 1945,” Bucky said as they got into position.

“Don’t worry Bucky, all you need to do is follow my lead.” They danced for a while, Clint leading with the grace of an expert. The music changed to something slow and sweet. Bucky expected Clint to let go or make a joke, but instead he found himself pulled close to the archer. 

“So, Buck, I need to get something off my chest. I don’t wanna ruin our friendship, but I want more. I’ve been falling for you for months and I just can’t hide it anymore.” It took Bucky a second to process what he was hearing. Clint took a breath like he was going to keep talking, but Bucky cut him off. 

“Clint, I want you too. I’ve wanted you for so long, in every possible way.” Bucky looked up to see Clint’s sunshine smile light up his face. 

“Can I kiss you?” Clint’s words were barely a whisper. At Bucky’s nod, he leaned down and the pair shared a soft kiss. They spent the rest of the party dancing and stealing chaste kisses, lost in their own happiness.

6 Months Later

Clint and Bucky walked into the briefing room deep in conversation.

“I can’t believe you of all people are saying no to pizza for dinner!” 

“Me of all people? I’m the one that ate pizza with you six days in a row last week! I’m gonna get scurvy and it’s your fault!” 

The cheerful banter ground to a halt at the solemn faces in the room. Steve had a look on his face that Bucky hadn’t seen since the 40s.

“Stevie, what’s the matter?” 

“We have a lead on that Hydra cell in Canada.”

“Shouldn’t that be good news?” 

“Well, we need to send someone deep undercover to collect the last of the intel.”There was a moment of silence before Clint spoke. 

“I have to go, don’t I?” Bucky’s eyes shot up to Clint’s. All he saw was quiet resignation. 

“No. Absolutely not.” 

“He’s right,” Natasha said from her seat at the table. She looked as upset as he felt about the situation. “You and I have too much history with Hydra. Steve, Sam, Tony, and Thor are too high profile. Bruce can’t go undercover and we can’t trust anyone else on this. It has to be Clint.” 

“It’s ok Buck, I’ll be alright.” Clint took Bucky’s hand and held it throughout the meeting. Clint would leave the next morning and the only contact would be coded messages sent twice a week. 

As the briefing ended, a somber silence filled the room. The tension lasted through a spontaneous team dinner and movie and followed Clint and Bucky to Clint’s apartment in the tower. Bucky sat on the bed fidgeting with a corner of the blanket while Clint gathered the few belongings he could take with him. 

“I still don’t like this Clint,” Bucky blurted when the silence got too unbearable. Clint stopped his packing and came to stand in front of Bucky. Taking both hands in his, Clint looked into Bucky’s eyes 

“I know. I wouldn’t go if there was any other way to take them down, but I promise you, I’ll come back to you. Nobody can keep me away from you, not even Hydra.” 

Bucky knew his boyfriend couldn’t really make that promise, but he let himself cling to it anyway.

“I’m gonna hold you to that,” he responded, cursing the tremor in his voice.

“Come here and dance with me Buck, let’s just take a minute to be together.” Bucky stood and let Clint pull him close.

Slow dancing had become a ritual of theirs on bad nights. It didn’t matter if they were in Clint’s room or Bucky’s, they turned on their song and danced. On this night, they clung a bit tighter as they swayed, letting any falling tears be drowned out by the music.

3 Months Later

With Clint gone, every day dragged agonizingly slow for Bucky. When he wasn’t out on an Avengers call, he was shooting things in the range or moping. The highlights of his week were Clint’s brief messages on Tuesdays and Fridays. Even though he couldn’t write back, he was able to relax a bit knowing that Clint was okay. Until the day the routine broke down. 

Tuesday came and went with no message. At exactly 12:01 on Wednesday morning, Bucky ran to the elevator. He burst out onto Steve and Sam’s floor and ran straight into Steve. 

“I have to go find Clint.” Bucky’s face was pale and his right hand was shaking like a leaf. 

“Buck, I know you’re worried, but this call is all hands on deck. Bucky blinked as he realized the Avengers alarm was blaring overhead. Fuming, he glared at Steve.

“What would you do if it was Sam out there? Huh Steve?” 

“If it was me out there, Steve would go out on the Avengers call because he knows I’d kick his ass for coming after me and putting thousands of other people in danger,” Sam said, walking up behind Steve.

“Fuck you Wilson,” Bucky hissed, mostly because he knew Sam was right. Clint would never let him hear the end of it if he left the team without a sniper. 

“The second we’re done with this fight, I’m outta here.” 

Eight hours later, Bucky was in the quinjet methodically cleaning his rifle and loading a set of handguns on the way back to the tower. As soon as they landed he stalked to another jet. 

“Go get your man Barnes, we’ll get a team out to you ASAP,” Sam called from where he was wrestling a bleeding Steve toward the elevator. 

Bucky flew faster than he ever had, desperately hoping he wasn’t too late. He landed the jet, knocked out the guard at the back door, and slipped into the building they’d identified as the Hydra base. He didn’t get far before he heard the sounds of gunfire and shouting. Throwing caution to the wind, he sprinted toward the sound. He turned a corner to see Clint knock out a Hydra agent and take his gun. 

“Clint!” Clint looked up and grinned at Bucky.He had a black eye and blood on his shirt, but he’d never looked so beautiful. 

“Hey Buck, I told you nobody was gonna stop me from getting back to you. Duck!” Bucky ducked and another agent dropped to the floor behind him. Together, Clint and Bucky cleared the base, taking prisoners and gathering intel as they went. They dumped the prisoners by the jet and set charges around the building. 

Clint pressed the detonator and the two men stood in the snow watching the base burn.

“Hey Clint,” Bucky said, turning to his partner. 

“Yeah?”

“Dance with me?” 

Clint smiled down at Bucky and took his hand. 

“Sure thing.” Bucky hummed their song and they danced while a light smattering of ashes fell around them. 

**Author's Note:**

> Me: Doesn’t write for like 6 months  
> Also me: writes this in 1 night when i should be sleeping because I have an important meeting tomorrow. 
> 
> I did my best to catch typos, if there are any glaring grammar mistakes, let me know. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Any kudos or comments are appreciated and will result in me doing a little happy dance!


End file.
